Tongs for handling building blocks



Dec. l1, 1951 A, KARGOL 2,578,072

TONGS FOR HANDLING BUILDING BLOCKS Filed June 7, 1951 INVENTOR ADOLPH /f/IRGL Patented Dec. ll, 1951 f UNITED" STATES PATENToFFIcE ToNGs Foa HANnLING BUILD'INGnL-OCKS Adolph Kargol, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada Application June 7, 1951, Serial No. 230,309

work.

The present invention provides a lift device which is designed to be conveniently gra-sped in the hand and arranged .to take a flrm hold on a building block so that the user can carry the block with comparative ease and also manipulate it for placement as is required in the erection of a wall common to building construction.

A distinctive feature is that the lift tool enables building blocks to be handled quickly and easily. Not only is it a time saving device but also it minimizes effort on the part of theworkman and reduces fatigue. i

The lift tool comprises a U-sha-ped frame s claims. `(o1. 294-62) which is invertedly arranged and provided with inturned spurs rigid with the lower end of one of its leg parts. The other. legpart `pivotally supports an L-shaped lever 'within the plane of the U-'sh'aped configuration. One part of the leverextends downwardly .from the pivotal connection in the form of a movable jaw and is supplied with rigid spurs which are inturned opposite said spurs to co-act therewith. The other part of the lever subtends beneath the bight portion of 4the frame in the form of a handle; the said bight is used as a handle. The spurs are arranged to grip spaced web portions of the building block when the tool is inserted part way into the end core holes thereof and the handle elements are squeezed.

AA secondary object of the invention is to provide a pivotal mounting for the lever in which spaced ears extend outwardly from the movable jaw and are connected to the adjacent legothe frame bya slot and pin connection which permits the lever to have a limited inward movement in addition to its pivotal action. An inwardly directed lug is supplied on the said adjacent leg and arranged so that the lever will fulcrum on it when the lever is pressed in gripping a block. In this way the pin and slot connection is substantially relieved of shearing stress; in consequence of which the tool is very rugged and will withstand considerable wear and tear.

The construction is serviceable and efcient, and the tool is not expensive to manufacture.

A selected embodiment of the invention is illus- -trated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the tool illus'- trated in the act of gripping a block,

Fig. 2 is a side view of the tool showing the lever in solid lines in its released position and showing it in its engaged position in dash lines, and i Fig. 3is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig-1.

In continued reference to lthe drawing, the frame of the lift tool comprises a U-shaped mem- -ber 5 which is invertedly arranged and has its legs 6 and l spaced apart a distance such that Ithey can be inserted freely in the end holes 8 of a vstandard building block, designated 9. The bight portion I0 is a horizontal handle element. One of the legs 6 constitutes a xed jaw and has provided on it a spur or claw II inwardly directed to engagev the wall of the hole forming the Vweb portion I2 of the block adjacent to the centre hole I3. Preferably two such spurs or claws are used, one on each side of the leg B and each being curved inwardly and pointed as at I4. The U-shaped frame piece 5 is fashioned of round stock and supports the lever I5 which is ears I6 pinned to theleg 'I` by means of a pin I1'.

vThe bend in said lever provides an element I8 depending in parallel relation to the leg 'I and inwardly spaced therefrom. This element constitutes a movable jaw portion and has a spur or claw I9 on its lower end. Preferably two such spurs or claws are used and they are curved inwardly and pointed oppositely lto the spurs II to engage the web portion I2 of the block adjacent to the centre hole I3. The ears I5 are rigid with the upper portion of the movable jaw. Above the jaw I8 is a compression spring 20 which presses the lower end of this jaw away from the fixed jaw to a releasing position, the movable jaw being limited in its outer displacing movement by the lower end of the leg 'I which acts as a stop.

The part 2I of the lever which extends horizontally from the bend constitutes a handle subtending beneath the relatively fixed handle l0 and movable upwardly to swing the movable jaw I8 inwardly.

With this arrangement it will be evident that to use the tool it is only necessary to hold it in the hand by means of the handle elements I0 and 2|, and to insert the fixed jaw 8 in one of 3 the outer holes of a block and to insert the movable jaw I8 together with the leg 'l in the other outer hole, and then to squeeze the handles together to cause the spurs to jointly engage wall portions of said holes to eect a firm grip on the block for lifting it.

An important feature of the construction is that the pivot pin H is engaged in elongated slots 22 provided in the ears I6 by which the lever has a slight outward movement bodily when the jaw end thereof is pressed into engagement with a block by means of the handle portion. This displacing movement is utilized to cause the Div'- ctal section of the lever to abut a fulcrum 23 in the nature of .a lug on the leg fl. In this way the slot and pin connection is relieved of stress thereon in the handling of a block and therefore the structure is rendered more rugged and serviceable. The lug has a rounded nose which is engaged by the movable jaw.

From the foregoing description it will be 'manifest that the invention provides tongs particularly designed for building blocks to enable them to be more easily handled.

What I claim is: Y

l. Lifting tongs for building blocks, comprising a U-shaped frame invertedly arranged and providing depending legs and a horizontal bight, one of said legs forming a xed jaw and the other forming a stop, spurs rigid with the lower end of said jaw and terminating in inwardly directed points, an L-shaped lever arranged within the confines of said U-shaped frame, one part of said lever extending downwardly alongside of said stop in spaced relation thereto and constituting a. movable jaw, the other part of said lever constituting a handle subtending beneath said bight, spaced spurs on the lower end of said movable jaw and terminating in inwardly directed points, means providing a connection between the bend portion of said lever and the upper part of said stop, and a spring acting between said frame and said lever and connection to press the movable jaw away from the xed j'a'w and the upper stop part. j

2. In tongs for lifting building blocks, a frame, a fixed jaw thereon, a movable jaw for coacting with said xed jaw, a lever extending from said movable jaw, and means pvotally supporting said movable jaw on said frame, said means comprising a pin and slot connection permitting the movable jaw to have limited displacing movement at the pivotal point, and a lug on said frame located for abutment by said movable jaw when this jaw is pressed by said lever into engagement with` a block for a lifting operation.

3. A structure as set forth in claim 2, and in which the jaws have free ends carrying inwardly directed spurs terminating in points.

4. In tongs for lifting building blocks, a frame.

ya fixed jaw thereon, a lever having a jaw part and a handle part, spaced ears on said lever at the juncture of said jaw and handle parts, and means pivotally connecting said lever to said frame, said means comprising a slot and pin connection attaching said ears to the frame in straddling relation, and a lug projecting from said frame adjacent the slot and pin connection to abut the jaw portion of the lever to take the thrust thereon when the handle is pressed in a lifting operation.

5. A structure as defined in claim 4, and in which the lug has a rounded nose which bears against the jaw portion of the lever.

6. Lifting tongs for building blocks, comprising a U-shaped frame invertedly arranged and providing depending legs and a horizontal bight, one of said legs forming a xed jaw and the other forming a stop, spurs rigid with the lower end of said jaw and terminating in inwardly directed points, an L-'shaped lever arranged within the confines of said U-shaped frame, one part of said lever extending downwardly alongside of said stop in spaced relation thereto and constituting a movable jaw, the other part of 'said lever constituting a handle subtending beneath said bight, spaced spurs on the lower end of said movable jaw and terminating in inwardly directed points, and means providing a pivotal connection between the bend portion of said lever and the upper part of said stop, said means comprising a slot and pin connection in which the slot is elongated to permit the pin to move endwise therein for a displacing movement on the part of the lever, and a lug on the frame adjacent said pivotal connection and arranged to be engaged by said movable jaw to fulcrum the lever to relieve the said pin of stress when the lever is operated.

ADOLPH KARGOL.

No 'references cited. 

